Residents on the Eastern Shore might notice an interesting looking and smelling crop growing on neighborhood farms as early as next season.

Production of industrial hemp, a relative of marijuana, is on the horizon due to a recent lifting of restrictions on the crop's growth.

Interest in introducing the alternative crop on the Eastern Shore is high, as local and national legislation have combined to spur hemp production and research in the area.

"It’s definitely another tool to put in the farmers' toolbox to try to be profitable," said Colby Ferguson, government relations director for the Maryland Farm Bureau. "It's a good niche market that I think can be very viable in the state."

Industrial hemp production refers to plants that have less than .3 percent of Tetrahydrocannabinol or THC, the compound in marijuana that gives a high.

Fabrics, paper and the recently popular cannabinoid or CBD can all be made from hemp.

The crop could potentially grow well in the soil and climate of Delmarva, said experts, although more research needs to be done on how to cultivate the plant.

"I don’t know how hemp is going to work on the Eastern Shore of Maryland," said Andrew Ristvey, UMD Extension Specialist. "But I think there’s going to be a lot of people interested in trying to find out."

Some farmers in Delmarva weren't aware of the new policy or were morally opposed to growing hemp on their land.

But others were open to trying out the new crop if conditions seem right.

"It’s a possibility, but I would need more information," said David Beebe a farmer in Frankford. "People go where the money is."

"Overall it is a joy"

Industry pioneers have undertaken the effort to gather this information in hemp-friendly states like Kentucky for the past four years.

One of that state's early producers, Katie Moyer of Kentucky Hemp Works, said the business has faced its fair share of frustrations.

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Hemp grows in a field outside the Kentucky Hemp Works operation in Christian County, Kentucky.(Photo: Photo courtesy Katie Moyer of Kentucky Hemp Works)

At first, Kentucky regulations were burdensome, and they've had trouble establishing insurance because the crop is labelled a high risk. They even had their company Facebook page shut down this Christmas, said Moyer.

"The biggest challenges aren’t the farming practices. Our farmers are bright and they are experienced," said Moyer. "It’s all these little legal things that go along with it."

But as the business chugs along, most of the issues she deals with are being ironed out.

For her it's worth it.

"Overall it is a joy to be in this industry," said Moyer.

New changes to hemp's legal status

Hemp was produced in the U.S. through the early 1900s, reaching 150 million pounds of production in 1943, according to the USDA.

But following this peak, production started to decline sharply due to legal restrictions, changing attitudes on marijuana and the rise of competition.

All cannabis was placed under federal control in the Controlled Substances Act of 1970, with no distinction made between plants with low and high THC.

However, one of the most notable changes in the recently passed 2018 Farm Bill was the national legalization of industrial hemp.

The bill removes hemp from the list of federally controlled substances and allows the crop to be grown as an agricultural product — it can be cultivated, sold and receive crop insurance.

What is hemp used for?

Experts aren't sure which hemp crops will see the biggest surge from the new legalization.

The plant can be harvested for both the stalk and seeds, and has been praised for its durability in fabrics and paper.

The U.S. imported almost $70 million of hemp seeds and fibers in 2017. About 90 percent of that was from Canada, according to a study from the Congressional Research Service.

One of the most popular recent uses is CBD, which proponents believe has a range of health benefits.

While CBD requires more intensive harvesting and processing, it is a high value use for the crop.

CBD is already sold in drinks and lotions, as well as other forms. Limited brewers across the country have started to introduce CBD-infused beer.

And the extract could soon enter the local brewing scene as well.

At Burley Oak Brewing Company in Berlin, owner Bryan Brushmiller said they are interested adding it to their beers and cafe products.

"We are poised to do that right now, but we are waiting for everything to be legal," he said. "We are always trying to push the limits of creativity and that means looking for new ingredients."

Yet while the Farm Bill opened the pathway for harvesting CBD, it did not sweepingly deregulate its sale.

After the passing of the bill, the Food and Drug Administration released a statement clarifying that the agency still plans to regulate CBD and will not allow products to be sold that make any claim of health benefits without proper testing.

Is hemp overhyped?

Despite the excitement over hemp, experts have voiced some concerns about the emerging industry.

"I don’t want to say that I am skeptical about hemp profitability but I’m reserved, " Ristvey said, adding that not all farmers will be successful. "There is going to be kind of a weeding out process."

One of the issues he's worried about is rain. A wet summer in 2018 flooded low-lying fields across Delmarva throughout the late summer.

Excessive moisture has been a problem for hemp growth in Kentucky, said Moyer.

"Especially in the first six weeks of growing, the hemp doesn’t like to get its feet wet," she said. "Too much rain is a quick way to lose a crop."

There are also concerns about the future of the market.

A 2018 study by the Congressional Research Service concluded that market opportunities for hemp might exist in some places, but that it's impossible to predict sales or employment potential for the crop.